Turkish parliament approves Makkah defence pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

The Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a bill ratifying the Makkah Agreement on Joint Defence with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the trilateral security pact to come into force. Lawmakers endorsed the measure by 279 votes to 119, with 398 of the chamber’s 592 members taking part in the ballot. The measure, formally titled the Bill on the Approval of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, passed after a lengthy debate among parties. During the debate, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker…